


For the People in the Back

by kay_emm_gee



Series: the kids aren't alright (The 100 tumblr prompts) [63]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-05 04:52:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5362130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kay_emm_gee/pseuds/kay_emm_gee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Do you take platonic prompts? Like something with Bellamy and Maya? Like he's her TA and helps her speak up in class? (I think they would make fun bros)</p>
<p>Summary: Participation has always been a problem for Maya, but Bellamy, her TA, seems determined and happily willing to help her find her voice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For the People in the Back

**Author's Note:**

> all of the bromance between Bellamy and Maya always.

Maya was just about to the door when she heard her TA call her name. Sighing, she contemplated slipping out with the rest of the exiting class, but Bellamy would no doubt chase her down in the hall. He was that kind of persistent, I-actually-care-about-these-freshman teaching assistant. Steeling herself, she stepped to the side, picking at her thumbnail and staring at the dirty carpet as she waited for the lecture hall to empty. She only looked up to tell Professor Kane to have a good weekend, wishing she could follow him right out of the room.

“You don’t have another class now, do you?” Bellamy asked as he walked over to her, hands in his pockets and a kind expression on his face.

“No,” Maya said quietly, blurting it out before she consider lying and putting off what she knew was coming. “I’m free.”

Participation had never been her strong suit, especially in large classes like Kane’s Intro to Political Science. Still, she was an International Studies major, and she needed to do well in this foundational class if she wanted to get into some of the department’s smaller, discussion-based advanced courses. Her TA, Bellamy Blake, had been watching her for the past few weeks, as if he could sense the words pressing against her sealed lips, words she wouldn’t dare speak outloud amongst the rowdy, arrogant shirt-and-tie loudmouths that sucked up the air and time in the room without a second thought. She could feel his gaze flit to her every time Kane asked a question, ones she had had no trouble answering in their weekly discussion writeups, ones that Bellamy always marked off with double checks and even a smiley face or two. It was only a matter of time before he spoke to her directly, and apparently, this Friday was that day.

So with a sigh, she dropped her messenger bag to the floor and folded her hands in front of her, raising her eyebrows expectantly, maybe even a little bit challengingly, at Bellamy. He just grinned wryly, then jerked his head to the front of the room.

“You’ve got insightful things to say, Maya. Kane would love to hear more from you. It would help the conversation a lot, and I think the other students would benefit from your point of view.”

“You mean one that isn’t either kissass or purposefully inflammatory?”

Bellamy chuckled, shooting her an appraising look. “As a supposedly unbiased TA, I can’t agree or disagree with that comment, but, like I said, you have some on-point insights.”

Maya felt her mouth tug up into a smile as she watched him rock back on his heels, pausing to think briefly. The silence made her a bit anxious though, so she couldn’t help break it.

“I just–it’s hard, speaking up in front of fifty people.”

“They’re not the easiest crowd. This class is particularly–undisciplined,” Bellamy admitted, exasperation lingering in his tone.

Maya stifled a snort, because that was putting it kindly. She would’ve said this class was particularly full of assholes.

“There,” Bellamy demanded, gesturing at her, eyes alight. “You were going to say something, but you stopped yourself. Why?”

“Because it was inappropriate,” she replied dryly. “I’d rather not get kicked out of class.”

He laughed, then nodded to himself. “Okay, so, in that case, yeah, maybe good decision. Kane is kind of a stickler for formality. But I’ve seen that look on your face before, and I highly doubt every time you stop because of profanity.”

“I’m trying,” she sighed, because, really, she was.

“I know,” he agreed. “I’m just going to help you try a little harder. Hop up onto the first row there. Let’s try something.”

With a wary glance, Maya followed his suggestion, shifting from one foot to the other as she waited for him to speak again.

“Repeat after me: who tells your story.”

“Did you just quote Hamilton?”

“I was a history and poli-sci double major,” Bellamy replied with a grin. “What do you expect?”

She laughed, then did as he asked.

“Good,” he said. “Now take two steps up and do it again.”

She did, and he nodded in approval. When she did it again from five steps up however, he shook his head and called out, “I can’t hear you. Say it louder.”

She repeated the words, but he asked for more volume, smiling when she finally called it out loud enough for him to hear. They played the same game as she continued to work her way up the rising rows of lecture hall seats, raising her voice more and more the farther away she got from him and the podium.

When she was at the top though, and called out the same phrase, he kept shaking his head, evne though he could clearly hear her.

“Shout it!” He yelled, grinning widely. “I want them to hear it across campus!”

She glared at him dubiously for a second before sucking in a deep breath and screaming, “Who tells your story!”

He laughed as she finished, gesturing with his hand for her to come down. When she reached him, feeling equal parts silly and satisfied, he said, “So you’ve yelled Hamilton lyrics inside an empty lecture hall. I doubt anything else you’d say in this room would be more ridiculous.”

“So now I should feel less worried about saying something foolish in class?” She finished for him, picking up on the lesson quickly.

“That’s the goal,” he replied with a grin, hands in his pants’ pockets. “Besides, I would be very suprised if anything foolish ever came out of your mouth in this class. I just need you to believe that. At the very least, now you know you have someone who you know will talk Hamilton with you.”

“Always a good thing to know,” she replied, smiling back.

He nodded a dismissal, turning to collect his things from the desk at the podium’s side. As she picked up her bag at the door, she glanced back at Bellamy, gratitude filling her.

“Thanks,” she called out, knowing the pressure in her chest would be a little less intense the next time she walked into this room.

Bellamy smiled at her, no doubt knowing the same. “Anytime.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on tumblr (kay-emm-gee)!


End file.
